Diving Medicine By Dr. David Sawatzky In the last column I talked about the reasons urine production is increased while we are diving and what we can do about it.  In this column I will continue that discussion by looking at other reasons divers are almost always dehydrated during/after …

Diving Medicine By Dr. David Sawatzky In any discussion on dehydration, the topic of electrolytes must come up.  So what are electrolytes?  In Stedman’s medical dictionary an electrolyte is defined as “any compound that, in solution, conducts electricity and is decomposed by it; an ionizable substance in solution”.  Ions …

Diving Medicine By Dr. David Sawatzky All of us enjoy diving or we would not be doing it. Often we feel better when we are diving. A subset of divers seem to really enjoy diving deep on air. Is diving addictive? Narcosis is a fascinating topic and supports the …

Diving Medicine By Dr. David Sawatzky Every year approximately 100 people die in North America while diving, and another 100 die while diving in the rest of the world.  Diving is a relatively high ‘risk’ activity.  By that I mean there are many ways in which you can be …

Diving Medicine By Dr. David Sawatzky In the last column I looked at diving fatalities and noted that poor buoyancy control was a significant factor.  Buoyancy control is by far the most difficult skill to master in diving and the easiest one to lose.  Therefore, in this column I …

Diving Medicine By Dr. David Sawatzky I was recently consulted on the case of a commercial diver who presented with cold, white, painful fingers after walking outside on a cold windy day.  When the diver was questioned it was discovered that they often experienced similar symptoms while diving and …

Frustrated because your spotting light spooked the critter… again? Light & Motion’s SOLA 600 Dive Focus Light offers a solution that, with a spot of undersea irony, will have you happily ‘seeing red’ all the same. Text and Photography by Jett Britnell I’ve used an endless assortment of submersible …

Seduced by the call of the deep, technical divers Heleen and Laura face-off with that most fundamental challenge of extended duration diving: the call of nature. With their solution in hand – well, not so much – word is now spreading and the sisterhood, to no one’s surprise, is …

He’s not a shark expert, hasn’t studied their behaviour, and doesn’t champion their cause, although he was once bumped by a shark not looking where it was going. Good job our man Sawyer doesn’t bear a grudge. Text by H.E. Sawyer  – Illustration by Peter Dahl-Collins I’m sorry, but …

Mix bottlenose dolphins, a reef in Eilat, Morad, a severely traumatized teenage boy, Assad, his Middle Eastern father who drops his ‘male ego’ to save his son, and Dr. Ilan Kutz, a psychiatrist open to alternative therapies, and what do you get? Dolphin Boy, an amazingly poignant, yet thought-provoking …

Dave Williams was just a kid when he made a farsighted commitment that eventually saw him blast off for the international space station. And his boyhood dive training and years of experience in the sport backstop his record setting spacewalks. Text by Dave Williams   My helmet lights reflect …

Recently the diving industry lost Dr. R.W. ‘Bill’ Hamilton (1930-2011), whose intellect, compassion and love of life, will not soon be forgotten. Text by Joel Silverstein   Rarely in life do we encounter someone who was as impressive yet unassuming, humble, and gracious as R.W. ‘Bill’ Hamilton, Ph.D. On …

Found! They think. Swedish tech divers believe they’ve discovered the wreck of the legendary and elusive Mars, flagship of their country’s navy, almost five centuries ago. Archaeologically, the find would be of global importance. Text by Richard Lundgren – Photography by Ingemar Lundgren   The Year of Our Lord, …

Wearing a blackout mask Diveheart founder Jim Elliott had an epiphany of the senses. In that tactile moment he understood that diving is not for eyes only. Text by Andrew Leibs – Photographs Courtesy Diveheart   On the surface, scuba diving seems purely visual. The very phrase conjures images …

Text by Bret Gilliam Most readers would likely consider the analysis of a diving fatality lawsuit about as palatable as a root canal. But I think this case will prove interesting to you because it addresses issues that directly affect how experienced divers will be allowed to enjoy some …

The Cayman Islands had a good Christmas last year with arrival of the USS Kittiwake, a wreck to be enjoyed by everyone. Text by Stephen Weir   For the dive industry Santa Claus rode into Grand Cayman on Christmas Day, not in a sleigh but on board a barely …

It’s an inside job – to be sure – but it’s the emergency rescue kit taken on every dive that keeps the ‘never say die’ attitude alive! Text by Bret Gilliam – Illustration by Amber Kurtz   AP – Four Russian scuba divers who were swept away by strong …

In fact, this Australian World Heritage Area is much more than a lagoon, and whether you’re above or below the water Lord Howe Island can take your breath away. And its remote location offers surprising marine life encounters. Text and Photography by Justin Gilligan  I cycle barefoot down an …

High Definition TV looks better all the time. Recently, a Red One camera in a Gates housing was used at Vancouver Film Studios to shoot an episode of Sanctuary, the technology’s underwater debut in a dramatic television series production. Text by Ian Seabrook – C.S.C.   Professional underwater cinematography …

Text and Photography by Scott Johnson Sometimes our imaginations – our very souls – cry out for more.  We need to escape routine, to discover a place so unpredictable it makes the magical world of Harry Potter seem dull by comparison. That’s how I found myself struggling against the …

This Philippines World Heritage Site in the remote reaches of the Sulu Sea is a wonder of marine biodiversity, where monsoons limit diving to just four months each year. Plan ahead! Text and Photography by David Fleetham I’ve travelled the world to photograph sea life for over 30 years, …

Two hundred years after his birth, Darwin’s Pacific has become a vortex of trash in the northern ocean where plastic refuse outweighs even the plankton. Text by Marie Freebody   Party Guest: “I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening?” Benjamin Braddock: …

There’s nothing like a big critter dive to get the adrenaline pumping – even before you hit the water. The sailfish and sardines off Mexico’s Isla Mujeres is one for the logbook! Text and Photography by Jesse Cancelmo The bait ball was under attack and as I surged through …

It’s one of my favourite British Columbia dives. We tie up close to shore – really close in fact. The drop-off in Jervis Inlet is precipitous; a mere stone’s throw from the low-hanging trees the sounder registers depth at more than 400 feet (120m). Yet for a deep dive, …

Text by Phil Nuytten Who hasn’t stuck their hand out the window of a fast-moving car, angled their flat palm and formed fingers up and down, and marveled at the unexpected force of the air-stream? This simple deflection plane is the basic principle behind the control surfaces or ‘airfoils’ …